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[Sorcerer]

The size thing has been brought up before, I actually reduced them quite drastically already, originally they were as big as horses. I don't remember exactly where i got the number from but i think it was the general consensus at the time? Anyhoo, it's not exactly hard to change, but there are several entries, some castes are bigger than others (workhorses for instance)

The size is mostly a matter of relative size, they are bigger than most animals, yes. but they are still smaller than griffons, buffalo and the changeling soldiers (tho drones are smaller)

[Rydel]

Don't forget that, despite their height, ponies are pretty large.  Shetland ponies weight about 450 lbs, and they're a very small breed.  (In fact, their height roughly matches the characters in the show)

[Phenoix12]

Don't forget that, despite their height, ponies are pretty large.  Shetland ponies weight about 450 lbs, and they're a very small breed.  (In fact, their height roughly matches the characters in the show)

So by the magic of just looking at other peoples research on the subject I have found that the average pony mare is approximately 3' 6" which is actually pretty much the same as a Shetland pony... but we do have to take into account the body difference between a MLP Pony and a Shetland pony.
The main one I see at first glace is that pretty much every picture of a Shetland pony I've seen they have stubby legs,are quite fat, and have a body shape that I would describe as oblong. While an MLP pony's legs are longer and the body is smaller then a Shetland's (there are numerous other difference that I don't really need to go into right now) With these little difference the body mass of a MPL pony compared to the Shetland (at first glace) would probably be much different.

Since the [BODY_SIZE] token in the RAW is measured in cubic centimeters and I can't actually open a portal to Equestria and get the average mass of a pony in said measurement I'm going to spend a little time and actually use skills I learned watching MatPat's show Game Theory on youtube to get a apartment of the size using the magic of pixel measurements and size charts! (I already have a good picture that most of the work's already been done!)  I'll probably die when my brain explodes doing this. Wish me luck!

[Rydel]

I did once try to roughly account for the weight difference, but was getting some rather silly results from treating ponies as having uniform density.  Really, you'd need to sub-divide them in to different parts and work that way, but them comparing them to real ponies would require splitting said pony into those same parts, weighing them, running them through a centrifuge to determine the makeup of each part, while also noting the respective density of their components, which isn't really feasible.

On the way, I did learn that birds' bones are not actually lighter than other animals of the same size.  Although their bones are hollow, the parts that are actually bone are much denser in order the handle the strain of flight.  The hollowness is to keep the bones from being even heavier than they are.

[Phenoix12]

After one and a half hours of painstaking pixle counting, comparing immages, counting more pixles, and more comparisons I have through the power of !!science!! have calculated without a shadow of a doubt that I am wrong.  The size defined the the unaltered pony creature RAW is actually pretty much the size that my calulations came out to be. (Which is the size of the average pony)  To be exact I came out to be apx 102591.9352318 cm cubed (give or take a few thousand) so the normally defined size of 100000 is good.

but there are several entries, some castes are bigger than others (workhorses for instance)

You know I have to point out that this might be a bad idea... but only from a gameplay perspecteve because if the body size disparity is large enough between the casts then we'll have a problem when clothing and armor sizing and such.  Simpler solution would to make it so those casts have just higher base strength and maybe some appearence modifiers and such... which is also what I think shoudl be done with the alicorn. Just give them apparence modifiers for tallness and such.

Please excuse my spelling on this post... I don't have access to a spell checker right now.

[Sorcerer]

the difference isn't big enough to run into item size restrictions.
The size between the alicorns and regular ponies, or even workhorses like the train ponies is big enough to warrant a size change.

[vjmdhzgr]

but there are several entries, some castes are bigger than others (workhorses for instance)

You know I have to point out that this might be a bad idea... but only from a gameplay perspecteve because if the body size disparity is large enough between the casts then we'll have a problem when clothing and armor sizing and such.  Simpler solution would to make it so those casts have just higher base strength and maybe some appearence modifiers and such... which is also what I think shoudl be done with the alicorn. Just give them apparence modifiers for tallness and such.

Please excuse my spelling on this post... I don't have access to a spell checker right now.

Within a creature all armor fits all castes of the same creature. You can have a caste with [BODY_SIZE:12:0:1] and a caste with [BODY_SIZE:12:0:999999999] and they'll both wear the same clothes. I'm not sure exactly what size the game would give the armor as far as other creatures trying to wear it, but that's not very important for this situation.

[vkiNm]

All the Poems, books and studies from the upcoming update is going to be a nightmare to make it work with Pony mod, wouldn't it? :C

[i2amroy]

All the Poems, books and studies from the upcoming update is going to be a nightmare to make it work with Pony mod, wouldn't it? :C

Depends a lot on the exact specifics of how Toady decides they should be implemented in the raw files.

[Sorcerer]

So far the only issue with updating to a new version of DF is making sure all the new tags are in place.
As I'm sure Toady doesn't want to rewrite every single creature again, most of his additions are built with the current raw system in mind, tags are only added where needed. The WORST that would happen, from my experience, is that without the correct tags, there might not be any poetry or the like, i doubt anything will outright break.

[Antsan]

As far as I understood it, there won't be any raws regarding poetry/music/dances in the next release but they're going to be hardcoded for now. His last Future of the Fortress replies seemed to say that. I could be wrong, of course.

[zlurker]

Good to see the mod is still moving along. I was kind of worried with how quiet things went in the wait to 40.00. :<

[i2amroy]

So recently tried this mod out some more and despite some of Toady's fixes I've been running to Pegasus perching. Any advice for dealing with that or fixing it when it does occur? I know this has probably been mentioned before, but it's difficult what advice given in the thread still applies and what doesn't anymore.

[Sorcerer]

Toady hasn't really done much for the flier pathfinder, and the pegasi still have some issues unfortunately.
The primary issue is that since flying is faster than walking they prefer to fly. due to fortress mode pathfinding the only time they get to do this is if there's a climbable area.
The problem occurs if there's a pathfinding update while they are airborne, especially when carrying items as this usually causes them to drop the item.

I've been experimenting with movement, I think maybe it might work to make the pegasi as fast or faster on hoof than by wing, so they won't prefer to fly, but I've not had time to test this yet.

[fourpotatoes]

The problem occurs if there's a pathfinding update while they are airborne, especially when carrying items as this usually causes them to drop the item.

Now I have an idea for a pointlessly overcomplicated deathtrap:

1: Pony picks up anvil.
2: Pony flies across an open shaft, the shortest route to the anvil stockpile.
3: Pony is startled by invaders / pathfinding is interrupted by automatic doors, causing pony to drop anvil onto invaders' heads.
4: Any anvils that make it across are loaded onto a minecart and taken back across the chasm to repeat the process.
5: After the siege, dropped anvils are recovered and ponies who get stuck in midair due to pathfinding bugs are rescued.
6: Ponies who cannot or will not be rescued will eventually fall out of the sky, hopefully making a posthumous contribution to the defense of the fortress as they crush an invader.